


happens every time (it's nothing new)

by scully_romanova_of_asshai



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Drabbles, F/F, it doesn't even have parentheses can you Believe, tags to be potentially updated as I add to this, tbh I don't even know what to tag the first one, which is v sad bc tags are the best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24655069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scully_romanova_of_asshai/pseuds/scully_romanova_of_asshai
Summary: aka supercorp drabbles. but random ones this time. :)
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 23
Kudos: 53





	1. mr and mrs spheer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I don't actually know when this takes place, but I know it's not present time. need to read some more non-russian history so I can decide, I guess
> 
> anyway I was printing packing lists at work and that inspired this to pop fully formed into my head so apparently this job is actually good for something (tho this did get longer than I expected)

Kara Zorel Danvers has been to what she would estimate to be several hundreds of fancy parties in her life. Not always as herself, of course, and certainly not always as a guest, but she considers herself to have enough experience to be quite knowledgeable about them. 

One piece of knowledge she has gained from that experience – the fanciest ones are the ones where guests are announced as they enter the room.

Or, in this case, the garden. She’s standing off to the side, under the shade of a tall oak tree, insects buzzing lazily in her ears as she observes the proceedings, when she hears the announcer ringing his bell once again. Her gaze roves over toward the entrance, stopping briefly on two men standing suspiciously away from the crowd on the other side of the garden, until she sees one take the hand of the other and the two furtively slip away. She allows herself a slight smile. Delay handled, her eyes reach the newly-arrived couple just as the announcer calls out, “Mr. and Mrs. Jack Spheer!”

The woman – the woman is ethereal. That’s the only word Kara’s brain can conjure to describe her. She can see it even from all the way across the courtyard – her pale skin glows in the dappled afternoon sunlight like that of none of the other guests; dark hair falls loose down her back, in contrast to the tight hairstyles of the other ladies present. Kara briefly considers the possibility that she’s a goddess come down to earth.

She finds herself moving closer without making any conscious decision to do so. Perhaps the woman is a siren, rather than a goddess. She feels Alex’s glare burning holes into the side of her head from across the crowd as she moves slowly through, and she ignores it, walking casually in an effort to ensure that no one takes much heed of her.

She’s successful, making her way quite close to the woman and her husband, near where they stand talking to another couple of pairs. She fastens her gaze on the woman, keeping it there about half of the time – enough to ensure that she’ll _notice_ , which is what she wants, while allowing her still to pretend that she’s focused on her job, and preventing the other people around the woman from becoming suspicious. Alex is still glaring; Kara can see it as she turns to confirm, and perhaps it’s a bit warranted, but there’s nothing she can do from all the way across the garden without storming over and causing a scene, and Kara is confident enough in her knowledge of her sister to know that she won’t.

A few minutes pass as Kara waits, hopeful, hands clasped behind her back as she surveys the crowd – and the woman in front of her. She doesn’t know why, and she doesn’t have a reason to be, but she’s sure that her waiting will pay off. She could swear the woman’s eyes have met hers for a fraction of a second at least twice, at this point. And her waiting does pay off – the woman shifts onto her toes and leans into her husband to whisper something in his ear – Kara can hear her soft laughter when she strains her ears, and it brings an embarrassing warmth to her cheeks that she prays will leave before the woman reaches her. She’s stepping closer to Kara now, her husband leading their conversation partners in the opposite direction with a bevy of excited-looking hand gestures, none of them even glancing back to see where the woman has gone.

Kara smiles mildly at the woman as she stops in front of her, more mildly than she feels, and can’t stop herself from taking her in from head to toe. When she reaches her eyes, she finds an eyebrow raised in question, and perhaps a bit of amusement. “Hello,” the woman says, reaching out a hand, and her voice is soft, but deeper than Kara had expected, and her accent is slightly different from most that Kara has heard since coming to England. It’s intriguing. _She’s_ intriguing.

Kara reaches a hand of her own forward to take the one offered to her, finding it soft, slightly smaller than her own, but strong, as she shakes it, before glancing around to see if anyone is paying them any attention, and, satisfied, leaning down to kiss the back of it, lips lingering perhaps a few seconds longer than they should. “Hello,” she says, glancing up at the woman from under her eyelashes, delighting in the flush she has brought to pale cheeks. She straightens back up slowly, releasing the hand she still holds yet more slowly, and clasps her own hands behind her back once again. “What is your name?” she asks.

The woman tilts her head, coy, and Kara knows what her answer will be before she even opens her mouth. “Didn’t you hear them announce it? You clearly noticed when we walked in,” she says, eyebrow rising once again, this time in a challenge, though there’s still amusement there. Kara thinks perhaps this woman is always amused by something.

“I did,” she responds, “but I mean _your_ name. You deserve more than being called by your husband’s name.”

“Do I?” she says, and a cloud of darkness passes over her face. She crosses her arms, and Kara finds her gaze inevitably drawn downwards before looking back up to meet her eyes once again – eyes a green that rivals several of the most precious things that Kara has ever seen, and she’s seen quite a few precious things. “I don’t happen to _like_ my name very much, Miss…” she cuts off, waiting for Kara to respond with her own name.

“Danvers. Kara Danvers,” she supplies, “though I prefer Ms., if you don’t mind.”

Something crosses the woman’s face then, but Kara can’t tell exactly what it is. “Well, _Ms. Danvers_ ,” she says, “I don’t like my name very much. That’s why I married my husband.”

Kara feels her own eyebrows rise. She looks the woman up and down once again, letting her eyes linger more obviously this time, appraising. “Is that the only reason?”

“He’s kind to me,” the woman says, voice softer than it’s been for the rest of the conversation, more delicate, almost. “And he _understands_.” She glances over her shoulder and across the garden, seeming remarkably attuned to where her husband is. Kara follows her gaze and sees him, arm wrapped jocularly around another man’s shoulders, seemingly quite engaged in his conversation, but as they’re watching, for just a moment, he looks forlornly off in the direction Kara had seen those two men sneak off in upon his and his wife’s arrival. “You see?” the woman says, bringing Kara’s gaze back to her.

Kara nods, smiles softly, a bit sadly. “I understand,” she says. 

It’s the woman’s turn to look her up and down this time; she’s much more brazen about it, surprising Kara once again. “Yes,” she says slowly, tongue darting out and running across her lower lip, “I thought so.” Her eyes flick to Kara’s, and her gaze is slightly darker than before. Kara can feel her cheeks warming again.

“What’s your name?” she tries once more.

“Lena,” the woman says. “My name is Lena.”

“ _Lena_ ,” Kara repeats. “A beautiful name.”

Lena smiles.


	2. tattoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kara is a tattoo artist. lena is...lena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wrote this in a literal day I'm so proud usually I take twenty two years  
> anyway sometimes I remember Katie's tattoo and die a little bit so here's the result of one of those times

It’s a regular Tuesday afternoon when Lena Luthor walks into Kara’s tattoo shop.

Well.

It’s a regular Tuesday afternoon _until_ Lena Luthor walks into Kara’s tattoo shop. 

It’s been pretty slow all day – no one really goes to get a tattoo on a weekday morning, unless they’re on vacation or something. She’d had one quick call with a previous client who was planning for their next piece earlier on, and she has an appointment scheduled for five thirty, but other than that she’s pretty much just been working on some sketches and cleaning up a little around the shop.

She doesn’t expect the tinkling of the bell above the door when she hears it from the back room just after one, elbow deep in soapy water.

“Be right there!” she calls out, shaking off her hands to dispel as much of the water as possible and pausing in the doorway to try to blow the strands of hair that have come loose from her bun away from her face.

They fall back down, mocking her, just as she lays eyes on the woman standing in the center of the room, looking around curiously. She certainly didn’t expect _her_.

The woman is, well, she’s _stunning_. Kara’s pretty sure her mouth drops open in gay awe. She’s shockingly overdressed – Kara likes to think her shop isn’t, like, a _dive_ , or anything, but this woman looks like she’s about to go meet with the president. Or maybe a god. _Maybe she_ is _a god_. 

As Kara watches, she reaches a hand up to loosen her hair from its tight ponytail, letting out a relieved sigh as the elastic comes free and sifting her hand through the hair to ensure that it falls flat, and like, does she _know_ that Kara is standing there? Is she _trying_ to make her have a meltdown?

Kara realizes that she’s probably been standing there staring for at least ten seconds now, which is _too long_ , and she brings a hand up to tug her rubber glove off with her teeth, which, _bad idea_. She promptly starts coughing at the taste of the soap, leading the woman to turn fully towards her, amusement in her eyes.

“Are you alright?” she asks, and her voice is lower than Kara expected, and also, well, hot. Her voice is _hot. Oh no_. Kara is not alright.

“Yeah, sorry,” she mumbles, pointedly tugging the other glove off with her hand. “Gotta stop doing that.” The woman’s eyes are still bright with held-in laughter, and she’s smiling softly, and Kara can feel herself start to blush. “How can I help you, ma’am?” she asks, a little too brightly.

The woman glances down, seemingly taking in what she’s wearing. “Maybe I should’ve changed,” she says quietly, almost to herself, before leaning forward slightly and holding out a hand. “Lena’s fine,” she says, louder.

“Lena,” Kara repeats, wiping off her hand on the front of her flannel. “Sorry, water,” she says in explanation, reaching forward and taking hers, before, “Kara. My name. It’s Kara.” Lena’s grip is strong, but her hand is soft, and Kara rubs her thumb across the top of it before she realizes that’s a _weird_ thing to do when you’re shaking someone’s hand, even a beautiful woman’s _(perhaps especially a beautiful woman’s)_ , and pulls away quickly.

“ _Really?_ ” Lena says, eyes narrowed slightly. “I thought it might be water.” And then she starts laughing at her own joke and _Oh No_ , Lena’s beautiful and a dork and _beautiful_ and Kara is so so _so gay_.

Lena stops laughing before Kara can join her, a blush turning her pale skin bright red. It’s adorable. _She’s_ adorable. Kara didn’t know she could be so far gone on someone less than five minutes after meeting them, with barely a conversation between them. 

“I had a meeting get cancelled, and I’d been meaning to stop in here, so I figured what better time, right?” Lena says.

 _Someone cancelled on you?_ Kara thinks, incredulously. “You’ve been meaning to stop in here?” she asks instead.

“Yes,” Lena raises an eyebrow. Kara gulps. “Is that a problem?” There’s a glint of _something_ in her eyes, something dark, and she looks like she’s about to take a step back, internally, if not physically.

“No!” Kara practically shouts, a hand reaching forward towards Lena in a placating movement that she aborts, going instead to push up the glasses that she’s not currently wearing, shifting again to instead tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Sorry, no, of course not,” she says, quieter. “I guess I was just surprised.”

Lena’s face softens. “Well that attitude can’t get you much business.”

“I do alright,” Kara mumbles defensively.

“I’m sure you do,” Lena returns warmly, much more sincerely than warranted. “Anyway,” she continues, “I’m looking to get a tattoo.”

“Well you’ve come to the right place.” Kara spreads her hands to indicate the shop, with the walls covered in photos of her past work, the two slightly ratty but very comfortable chairs, and the spotless equipment currently residing behind the counter, with no other customers having come in yet today.

“That’s better,” Lena nods in mock approval, eyes twinkling, and Kara winks, delighting in the color it brings to the brunette’s cheeks.

“Told you I do alright. Do you have an idea what you’re looking for?”

Lena splays a hand over the left side of her ribcage and Kara’s eyes are drawn to it of their own will. _She has nice hands_. “-was thinking some flowers. Violets, maybe?”

The way she says _violets_ is like a challenge, and Kara knows she should know why, but she can’t think of the reason right now, so she just says, “That can be a painful spot to get a tattoo. Have you gotten one before?”

And that’s a mistake. It’s a _mistake_ , because Lena nods and runs her hand across her lower back and _oh_ , it’s such a mistake. “I got it when I was in boarding school,” she says. _In boarding school_. Kara’s brain shorts out even more. _Of course_. “I wanted to make my mother upset. It worked – she hates it.” A smirk slides across her face and Kara _knows_ something dangerous is about to come out of her mouth, something even more dangerous than anything else she’s said yet, and she should turn away, or _something_ , but she finds herself hanging on her next words. They don’t disappoint. 

“Girls seem to like it though, which was an unanticipated plus.”

“ _Girls_ ,” Kara stutters out, voice cracking. She clears her throat, blinking rapidly, her hand coming up to fiddle with her glasses _again_ to find that they still aren’t there. She latches it on to the back of her neck. “I’m- I’m sure they do.”

Lena’s smirk has only deepened in the time it takes for Kara to get that out. She takes a step closer. “ _Would you like to see it?_ ” she asks, breathes, really, and Kara thinks she might be dreaming. She pinches the back of her neck – nope, still here. “Just to get a sense of the style so that yours won’t conflict with it, of course,” Lena continues, taking a step back, but there’s still a _look_ in her eyes that tells Kara that’s absolutely _not_ the only reason why.

“Of course, yeah,” she says, “to make sure the styles go together. Would you like me to take a look now?”

“I was thinking this weekend, actually, if you’re free,” Lena says, and despite the show she’s still putting on, behind it she sounds a little nervous, and _oh_. Kara’s eyes widen.

“Yeah, definitely! I’m free all weekend, whenever,” she says, internally wincing at how desperate she sounds, but really, she’d blown any chance at appearing to have even a single ounce of chill the second she froze for a full ten seconds upon spotting Lena.

Lena, whose soft smile is back on her face now, and who is reaching into a previously invisible pocket and coming out with – a business card. She hands it to Kara, their fingers brushing in a way that she’s now sure is intentional on Lena’s part but sends sparks through her all the same. “Call me,” she says, and then she’s gone, with a swish of her hair and an attempt at a wink _(failed but perhaps better for it)_ , leaving Kara standing in the middle of her shop, mouth open as she tries to make some sense what just happened.

She looks down at the card. _LENA LUTHOR_ , it says, _CEO_. She doesn’t think it can be considered a regular Tuesday afternoon anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, lena did walk past kara's shop one day and see her in the window and immediately decide she had to get a gay tattoo and also fuck the pretty tattoo artist, and that is so valid of her
> 
> also if I ever write something where lena doesn't fail to wink just know that it's an imposter


	3. dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lena joins the dance club. kara falls on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw this is a college au.  
> absolutely did not write this in like an hour last night after seeing people dancing for two seconds when I went to throw out my garbage (don't worry I did Not fall on my face bc I immediately looked away due to my policy of not looking at anyone ever lest they think I'm Looking at them and decide to kill me)

_ “You need to do something besides study all the time, Lena. You’re in college. Your mom is all the way across the country. Live a little!” _

_ “I’m living just fine, thanks,” Lena mumbles distractedly, leaning in closer to the project she’s fiddling with in order to see a little better, before nearly falling backwards off her seat as she leans back to avoid the sparks that fly out. Shit. _

_ “I really think you’ll like it,” Sam continues. “It’s pretty chill, actually, so it wouldn’t take that much time away from your regular nerdish lifestyle.” Lena gives her the finger without even glancing away from her work. Sam just continues (she knew she would, but it was worth a shot). “I mean, it’s not like I have a lot of time for stuff like that, with Ruby, so if I can do it, so can you.” _

_ “The difference is that you want to, Sam. I have no need for that in my life.” _

_ “I shouldn’t be your only friend, Lena.” _

_ Lena sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose (and no doubt smudging it with grease). “If I go to one meeting, will you stop nagging me about it?” _

_ “About this specifically? Yes.” _

_ “Fine.” _

And now she’s here. Practicing with Sam for their in-club dance competition, mid-Thursday afternoon, between classes for Sam and after for Lena, where anyone walking past the windows outside can see them. 

“I still don’t get why we couldn’t just do this at my place this weekend. There’s enough room, and there wouldn’t be any creepy frat guys staring through the windows.”

“I told you, we can’t wait until the weekend because the competition is on Saturday, and if I let you wait you’ll just find some way to stall until it’s too late. And besides, it’s easier to practice when Ruby is with Rebecca, and I’m not going to ask her to watch her when I don’t have to.”

Lena frowns, but obligingly moves to get into position for the beginning of their dance as Sam restarts the song on her phone. “It’s not stalling, it’s working.”

She doesn’t even need to look at Sam to know she’s rolling her eyes. “It can be both.”

They make it through the dance together a couple more times before they decide each person should try it alone so that the other can try to spot any mistakes, or things they can improve on  _ (it is a competition, after all. a competition where the only prize is bragging rights, and possibly some sort of secret joke prize that lena really doesn’t want to win, based on what she’s heard from some of the longer-standing club members, but a competition nonetheless). _

Lena’s taking her turn after Sam’s had been a success when Sam lets out a gasp. “Is that Pretty Blonde Literature Girl? Oh my god Lena, I almost forgot about her, it’s been so long since you called me in the middle of the night crying about how nice her eyes are!”

Lena continues her movements, resolved not to look out the window behind her. If Sam is lying and she falls for it, she’ll never live it down. Besides, even if Kara  _ was _ there, she’s probably gone already. “Okay, first of all, that is  _ not _ her name, and second of all, I only did that twice!”

“Once is enough to make fun of you, twice is enough to continue making fun of you for several years. And it’s  _ your _ fault for not telling me her name for so long. I had to improvise! Oh my god, she’s coming closer!”

Lena huffs, rolling her eyes and tuning Sam out, focusing in on the lyrics and her movements instead. That is, until she hears a strangled yelp through the propped-open door, and the sound of something banging into the window behind her, and she stops, concerned. Sam has her hand over her mouth, but her eyes are dancing with amusement, and Lena turns around to see what happened. And oh god, it  _ is _ Kara.

Kara, lying on the ground, presumably having hit the window on the way down.

“You should go check on her,” Sam pipes up, barely holding back her laughter, and failing to do so out all when Lena hurries out the door.

“Kara! Are you alright?” The blonde is sitting up now, legs crossed and glasses skewed. There’s a crack in one of the lenses, and she pulls them off, frowning down at them. “Kara?” Blue eyes, surprisingly intense, dart up to meet her own.

“Lena!” she says. “Hi. I haven’t seen you in a while! Not since class with Professor Gordon! And, I mean, I totally didn’t see you just now, obviously, fell for a completely unrelated reason, what are you doing here? I mean, besides dancing. Not that you were necessarily dancing, I don’t know why I assumed that! Just, your clothes kind of look like dance clothes…” Her voice lilts up at the end, transforming the smile that’s been growing on Lena’s lips throughout her speech into a full-on grin.

“You sure about that?”

Kara looks like she’s psyching herself up to try again, but then she just sighs. “No,  _ Rao, _ I totally just saw you through the window and forgot how to walk for a second.  _ Wow,  _ that sounds creepy when I say it out loud, I’m  _ so _ sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Lena says, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth, half unconsciously and half  _ very _ consciously. She reaches a hand down to help Kara up, and doesn’t let go once she’s standing. “Let me help you get cleaned up, since I’m the one who caused this.”

“Cleaned up?” Kara asks, glancing down at herself. “I’m just a little dusty. Didn’t really scrape anything.”

“You could have some bruises,” Lena says, stepping forward slightly, hand sliding up her forearm to turn it gently one way and the other. “Best to take a look. One of my majors is bio, you know.”  _ (well. bioengineering. same difference right now). _

“Oh,” Kara breathes. “Oh. Yeah, we should, uh, we should probably do that, you’re right.”

Lena smiles sharply up at her and revels in the way she sucks in a breath. “I know I am.” She slides her hand back down to lace their fingers together, giving a slight tug to pull her along with her. 

She stops in the still-open doorway  _ (which she’s pretty sure is against some kind of regulation, but whatever) _ to see Sam trying and failing to look annoyed  _ (she mostly just looks smug). _ “Tomorrow night, I’ll bring a bottle of wine and we can finish up for Saturday?”

“As long as it’s expensive and comes with details.”

Lena glances at Kara, watches as her cheeks flush, and then turns back to Sam with a wink  _ (or, as sam likes to call it, a lena-wink. meaning a pointed blink. it gets the point across). _ “Thank you darling, see you tomorrow.” 

And with that, she pulls Kara down the road toward her apartment.

_ (‘so will you show me the rest of the dance?’ _

_ ‘i can show you a different one.’) _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes lena still can't wink


End file.
